Even while looking for members with specific technical skills, I generally look for these in any candidate:
1. Lots of people can raise issues and surface problems. But the best people identify the problem, propose a real solution to it, and help do the work to implement it. Those people are incredibly rare and incredibly valuable.
- Does this candidate look like one among them?
2. Generally, most companies don't need superstars. They need people who are curious and disciplined, and that can come from anywhere.
- Is this candidate curious enough?
3. Enterprise company: this is a great plan. Let's make sure we get these four other teams on board to get this done. Startup: great plan! Is it live yet? What are the results?
- Does this candidate have a startup mindset while approaching a task?
4. No one person leaving a good company kills it, but sometimes one person staying can. Similarly, the absence of a feature may not kill a good product, but the presence of a bug can.
- Does this candidate have an eye for details and have a proven customer-centric mindset?
5. If we want to improve our odds of success in life and career, then we should define the perimeter of our circle of competence and operate inside. Over time, we should work to expand that circle but never fool ourselves about where it stands today.
- Is this candidate beating around the bush, or is (s)he aware of their "Circle of Competence"?
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